I'm thinking of adding holiday lighting as a service and was thinking about attenting the holiday bright lights free training, and wondering if any of you had attended it and if was worth the trip and if you got much out of it?

addictedtolandscaping

07-22-2009, 05:16 PM

Actually we just went to the calls in June. For us it was great to be able to get our hands on and actually see the materials. There were lectures of all different sorts, from design and installation right through repair, storage, and maintenance. There was even a marketing rep that spoke. We went over estimating hands on as well as some installation and installation techniques.

To be honest, we are in the Albany NY area, and the trip for us was anything but a vacation until United stranded us in Chicago but that is another story. The hotel we stayed in Holiday Inn Express at Cherry Hills - fantastic, the HBL showroom is about 2 blocks away, country blocks that is, easily within walking distance. I think personally the class was worth it, and if it were not for the recommendation to attend the convention as to another class, we would be gong to a training class again next year.

One of the other pieces of advice I would give, read and reread the information here. There are some guys particularly successful with holiday lighting that offer all kinds of advice, I have been bugging these poor guys since April, and even after going to the class last month I am still asking all sorts of questions. You can not beat the help and information that is offered up here.

But to answer your question, yes to us it was definitely worth it.

David Gretzmier

07-22-2009, 08:56 PM

I'm one of those guys he has been bugging.

If you are serious about doing lights, then I encourage you to read every post to every thread on the Christmas board for the last 2-3 years. This is a wealth of info that tells you about everything. I've written more than a few posts about all the training out there, and I have been to or seen the videos of most of the Christmas training out there. HBL is a good start, but it does not prepare you to go to a house and install. you need to install, take down and rehang your own house in a 3 week period to be ready for your first paying customer, and even then you are only sorta ready. It takes about 12 houses to get comfortable at this. At some point you will get a really challenging roof or commercial project, and it does not need to be your first gig.